Apply now for Women in Journalism Scotland 2024 mentoring scheme

Women in Journalism Scotland has launched the fourth round of its successful mentoring scheme.
Our mentors have helped their mentees bag bylines in publications such as The New York Times and The Guardian, as well as build contacts and grow in confidence.
The 2024 programme will draw on the knowledge and experience of a pool of experienced women journalist mentors. Successful applicants will be paired with a journalist mentor based on their specialism and goals.
Our mentors for 2024 include:

  • Marion Scott, chief reporter at the Sunday Post and Scotland’s Journalist of the Year

  • Laura Kuenssberg, presenter of the BBC’s flagship interview show on Sunday mornings on BBC One

  • Jean Johansson, presenter of Channel 4’s A Place in the Sun and reporter for BBC’s The One Show

  • Cal Flyn, author and journalist based in Orkney, and contributor to Granta, National Geographic, The Guardian and The Sunday Times

  • Kirsty Wark, presenter at the BBC

  • Laura Boyd, entertainment reporter for STV News and What’s On Scotland

Commenting on the launch, Women in Journalism Scotland head of mentoring Gabriella Bennett said: “Our scheme has gone from strength to strength since 2021 and we’ve now helped more than 100 early-to-mid career journalists.

“Mentoring is a two-way street and our mentors tell us the process has given them a confidence boost, too. For mentees it is an invaluable way to make contacts and break into the industry. 

“Our mentors for 2024 covers beats as diverse as politics, investigations, travel, food and drink, arts, health, sport, local news, digital, data, opinion and tech. We urge applicants to think carefully about their application and have clear goals in advance”. 

A WIJ Scotland mentor and mentee talk about their experiences of the programme

How to apply

To apply to have your media career shaped by this opportunity, fill in the below application form by December 22 2023.

This year we are also asking applicants to submit a short plan detailing what they would like to achieve with a mentor, including two goals.

Apply here. 

FAQ

Who can apply?

Early and mid-career women journalists working in Scotland will be chosen to take part in a year-long programme, which will include an hour a month of their mentor’s time, most likely on Zoom. 

WiJ Scotland defines a mid-career journalist as someone who feels they still have space to grow in their career and has specific goals they feel a mentor would help with.

Boosting the number of women of colour journalists and women sports journalists is one of our goals. Therefore, while the mentoring scheme is not generally open to student journalists, it is open to women of colour student journalists and students who want to be sports journalists.

Applicants must be a member of Women in Journalism Scotland. If you are not yet a member of Women in Journalism Scotland, join here.

What successful applicants will receive

  • A year’s mentoring with an established women journalist

  • An invite to an introductory mentoring workshop and an in-person mentoring social at BBC Scotland’s HQ

  • The chance to connect with other mentees on the scheme through via Discord 

  • Career development and opportunities from Women in Journalism Scotland

Why mentoring?

We believe mentoring has the ability to change the future of journalism. That future features a more confident, diverse workforce, a greater prevalence of women’s voices and more women in senior positions.

How is the mentoring scheme judged?

Applicants will be selected by a panel led by the WiJ Scotland committee. The panel will study all the answers to the questions posed in each application and base its final decision on the journalists proving how much they would benefit from the programme. An additional factor will be which applicant best fits the skills and experience of the mentors.

When will I hear back?

We aim to contact all applicants by early January. Unsuccessful applicants will be provided with feedback.

Women in Journalism